


The Only Exception

by SunlightOnTheWater



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Tag, Episode: s04e16 On the Head of a Pin, F/M, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 21:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1403071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunlightOnTheWater/pseuds/SunlightOnTheWater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of Alastair and Uriel's betrayal, Castiel finds himself in a hospital room with an unconscious Dean, his tainted little brother, and a demon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Exception

Castiel returned to the hospital after the death of Uriel. It was, in all honesty, because he didn't know where else to go. Recently he had always gone to Uriel. His brother, the angel who had watched his back, and his confidant after Anna had fallen had betrayed them all. Had been killing their brothers and sisters. Now he was alone. He appeared in the empty hallway in an effort to remain unseen by any hospital staff that might be tending to Dean. He crossed the floor softly and then hesitated as he saw two figures standing in Dean's room. One was obviously Sam, the same tall and strong form that had cast down Alastair. That had destroyed the white eyed demon with barely any effort at all. The other was slight and female. "I'm sorry Sam. I really am," the female was saying.

Sam barked out a derisive laugh in response. "Right Ruby. Like I'm supposed to believe that. You can't even feel sorry."

"How would you know Sam?" came the sharp retort. "You're not a demon."

"No. I'm just on my way there. Marching down the path to Hell with my head held high, right?" Sam tone was sour, bitter. "But it wasn't ever much of a choice, was it?"

" _Sam_ ," came the pleading reply. Castiel stepped cautiously in the doorway and both heads turned toward him. The demon was wearing a brunette female, slim and slight and powerful. Next to her Sam looked huge, despite his hunched shoulders. "Oh," she said, seeming remarkably unsurprised. "Dean's little guardian angel decided to show up again."

"Leave it Ruby," Sam said tiredly, sinking down in the chair next to Dean's bed. Ruby huffed, unimpressed, but crossed the room to lean against the wall and pet Sam's hair. Castiel watched, feeling dull and empty. 

"You going to come in Feathers, or just hang around like the creepy stalker angel you are?" Ruby jibed.

"Leave him alone Ruby." Sam's rebuke was harsh despite the deadness in his expression.

"Why?" Ruby snapped. "He wants to kill you. They all do."

"It doesn't matter." Ruby sighed but settled back against the wall again, shooting dark glares at Castiel every so often. Sam's shoulders were slumped and his eyes kept slipping closed. "Rest Sam," Ruby told him. "I'll keep watch." It took a moment but Sam nodded, drifting off while Ruby played with his hair. They stayed there in silence as the hours ticked by. Ruby shot him odd glances, whether to gauge how much of a threat he was or out of curiosity he did not know. At last she said, "He was supposed to be ours."

"What?" he asked, feeling as if he'd simply appeared in the middle of one of Sam and Dean's conversations. He had done that before, watching them invisibly as they moved from case to case.

"Sam," Ruby said, her expression almost affectionate. "He was supposed to be our king and he turned it down. All that power and he didn't want it." That obviously confused the demon. Her tone was awed and scornful by turns as she continued to run her fingers through Sam's hair. "He still doesn't want it but he's taking it anyway."

"Why?" Castiel asked, half from a vague feeling of curiosity and half to keep the demon speaking so he didn't have to think about what had happened this day.

"The reason's lying on that bed," Ruby said with a wry smirk. "All of Hell and we still couldn't get between those two and you? You angels come marching in and destroy it in days. I'm almost proud of you, you know? Sending Dean to see what Sammy was up to before he got up the guts to tell Dean himself? That was so wonderfully cruel." The dark pride in Ruby's eyes made Castiel feel sick. Feel tainted. "And then calling him an abomination, sending Uriel to threaten him when Dean wasn't around? Just lovely."

"I don't want your pride," Castiel said sharply, the words feeling like jagged glass come out of his throat.

"Oh I know," Ruby say, smiling widely. "And that's what makes it so delightful you see? You're breaking him for us and we don't have to lifted a finger." Then Ruby glanced down. "But it doesn't matter, not really. You know why? Because Sam will never be ours. He's Dean's. Always Dean's. No matter how much you break him you're never going to stop that. Azazel had years and he couldn't accomplish this. You won't be able to in a few months."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Just making sure you know the playing field," Ruby told him before settling back into silence. 

Sam woke four hours later, gasping and panting. Ruby tried to get him to talk but he shoved her off gently. She didn't seem to care, just stole his seat when he stood and began to pace. Castiel remained in the doorway, feeling awkward and lost. The hours dragged on. Sam did not sleep for the rest of the night, instead pacing or leaning against the wall. Ruby eventually gave up her hard won seat, muttering that Sam was going to collapse if he didn't stop pacing. They argued for a moment, without much heat on Sam's side, and he eventually sat. Night turned toward day and the hospital began to come to life.

When a nurse arrived to check on Dean she looked over them all with concerned eyes before shaking her head and tutting. "You three need to get some rest," she informed them. 

"I don't know about sleep," Ruby said with a false, perky smile. "But I could use some coffee. And french fries." She added the last part under her breath. Castiel tilted his head, confused, and she smirked at him. Then she squeezed Sam's shoulder and headed out of the room.

"What about you two?" the nurse asked as she checked over Dean.

"I do not require sleep," Castiel said solemnly. The nurse turned to shoot him a strange look but didn't press. 

"And you honey?" she asked, turning to Sam. "You're not much good to your brother if you die of exhaustion. Or become ill yourself." 

Sam shook his head and muttered, "I'm not much good to him at all," too softly for anyone without supernatural hearing to catch. The nurse sighed and bustled out of the room. Castiel stayed in the doorway, unsure what to say. Sam didn't seem to expect him to say anything. Ruby returned ten minutes later to break the awkward silence with chatter and two coffees, one for herself and one for Sam.

"Maybe coma boy will wake up today," she chatted, as if to pass the time.

"God only knows," Sam replied, tone exhausted, and Castiel was fairly certain he was correct. Ruby snorted as if that said everything she thought about that particular subject. "Why are you hanging around Ruby?"

"Moral support," the demon replied cheerily.

"You suck at moral support."

"To keep Feathers from incinerating you then."

"Doubtful."

"You're so difficult to please," Ruby huffed and Sam narrowed red veined eyes at her.

" _Ruby_ ," he warned and his sighed.

"Fine. I'm here to make sure you don't decide to eat a bullet and waste all my hard work."

"Of course," Sam replied, barking out a laugh. He didn't ask anything further, just settled back in the chair and drank his coffee. The day dragged on without much conversation after that. Ruby lounged around Sam and occasionally made snide comments about what was happening on the television. Sam elbowed her occasionally, when her comments got too outrageous, but mostly left her be and eventually she seemed to run out of words. The television hummed on until Sam muted it and stared at the moving pictures. He didn't fall asleep. Castiel almost felt relieved when Ruby forced him out of the hospital room to get a few hours of sleep in a proper bed. Two hours later, Dean finally woke up.


End file.
